Final Truth
by projectarnold
Summary: Snake is now a middle aged man living in japan, one day an old friend comes to visit. please R+R


The warm wind blew through the orchard and lifted the cherry blossom into the air and whisked it into froth

THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF MGS ON THE GAMEBOY AND BEFORE MGS2. AS NOT MUCH IS KNOWN OF THE PLOT OF MGS2 AT THE MOMENT ANY MISTAKES MADE IN LINE WITH THAT STORY ARE NOT MY OWN FAULT. THINK OF THIS AS A WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.

The warm wind blew through the orchard and lifted the cherry blossom into the air and whisked it into froth. The mellow sun sank beneath the hills and cast its orange breath onto the grass. There was only the noise of birds in the trees to disturb the heaven-kissed silence. The soft silk of his kimono brushed his leg and he was at peace. He wandered through the grounds, the dewy grass blessing his naked feet. The stream bubbled into the pond and the soft breeze stroked his head. Being here was like the moment between sleep and waken ness, it was this state that the enlightened searched for and the people feared. He knew that there was no one for miles and that he was finally alone, the ghosts had been purged by the tranquillity and he knew this time they would never come back.

He came to the middle of the orchard and sat slowly against the base of a tree. He sipped sake from a small cup and stared into the evening sky. Ginger and lavender were smeared together on the horizon and the mountains glowed like gods. He closed his eyes and sweet music filled his head and calmed his body. Time passed without detection in this place, an hour was as to a year, and the past was nonexistent, as was the future, there was only the present. Sins were forgiven and fear and greed were exorcised.

He knew that he would never fight again because for the first time in his life he could be motionless and happy; he didn't need the thrill of the fight or the buzz of victory to feel alive, he needed only life itself. He could know look back at his life without the fear of being dragged back into it. He remembered the people he had met, loved and killed, sometimes all three. He remembered the girl who had loved him, and the girl he had loved. They were different woman. He had only looked upon her with loving eyes when he looked into her lifeless eyes. He remembered the family he had killed but never known and the friend he had known but still killed. He remembered the people he had met and used and saved for his own ends. And he remembered the people he had killed when they blocked his way. He remembered them as people because he couldn't remember them as individuals. He remembered the country he had saved so many times but who had killed him in reply.

His memory was a book of shadows, a tragedy that you feel at the back of your mind when you are depressed. He used to think that death was the only release, before here, but he had always known that another man would never kill him. Many had tried, and some had come close, but none could match his will to survive. He had always wanted to survive, but now, here, he wanted to live. He used to be like an animal, existing solely to become stronger and to kill more, he wasn't a person on the battlefield, he was a beast who tracked and slaughtered to not only survive but to be better than the opponent. Only one man had ever survived his anger and that man was almost as angry as snake, he was probably dead now anyway.

CLICK…

Snake was snapped out of memories and peace. Violently thrust back into the life he had once lead. The animal came back into his head and sat ready, waiting to pounce. He knew as soon as he heard the cracking of the hammer who it was. The same noise had nearly caused his death 10 years ago albeit for the help of a ghost he once knew. It was a Colt standard army issue. The greatest gun ever built. Snake remained still; he knew that he still wasn't quite beaten. The man behind was standing and his breathing was laboured like he had just been running, or fighting? He smelled of war, his leather jacket stank of cordite and grenade smoke, and he had the tinge of death in his hands. They sat silent for many minutes, whispering to each other without ever moving their lips. The he broke the silence,

"Hello Snake"

It was that disgusting raspy voice, choked by blood and gun smoke. It was this voice that had promised him death and had been the last thing to fill the ears of his partner.

"We haven't met in so long I almost didn't recognize you in the papers. Why did you cut your hair short Snake why did u grow that goatee. Did you want to hide yourself from yourself? All those years ago I asked if you could ever look at yourself in the mirror? After what you did to her."

"I've killed a lot of people Ocelot, one little woman doesn't make a difference"

The words wrapped their hands round Snakes throat and squeezed. It was so hard to say. He couldn't remember ever having told a lie in his life before.

"But she wasn't just a woman was she Snake, and the sad thing is you didn't realise this until you cradled her dead body in your arms. Its nice that you admit that it was you that killed her, your weakness, not me. I'm sure your wondering why I'm here, how I found you so I'll save myself the distraction of having you ask. I found you by coincidence. Admittedly I was looking for you but I doubt I would of found you had it not been for fate. I've been searching for 10 years Snake and I came to Japan because I knew you would be searching for peace. I searched the records and unsurprisingly you weren't there so I began looking for where I KNEW I would find you. Solitude. I heard from people that an American with long hair and few belongings had bought a house out in the middle of nowhere and that he would never answer his door. I knew that I'd found you."

"Then why have you wasted the last 10 years of your life searching for me, to kill me? Huh I'm already dead. I'm an old man Ocelot, I don't want to fight, not you, not anyone. I'll kill you, but I won't fight."

"I know that Snake. I've always known. I know you think I was just a pawn of Liquid's but I wasn't, I was much more than that fool of a brother of yours ever was! Ahem …anyway. I find it hard to believe how you keep your sanity Snake. Look at yourself. You killed your Father, closest friend, the woman you loved and all those men who were your bothers. Everyone you meet dies don't they Snake? No wonder you want to be alone."

"This is all very nice Ocelot but it doesn't answer my question, why are you here? I take I take it by the gun in the back of my head that its to kill me."

"I have no interest in killing you. We are no longer on opposite sides and I bear no grudge to you despite what you did to me."

"I didn't cut off you hand Ocelot. That was Grey Fox."

"DON'T INTERUPT! I know that. What you did to me, you did inadvertently. The reason I have a gun in the back of your head is to stop you from killing me. The reason I'm here is to tell you what I need to tell you while I'm still here. I expect that I don't have much time left and I wanted someone to know the truth. That whole affair on Shadow Moses Island 10 years ago was engineered for nothing. Liquid was motivated by nothing but jealousy. All his life he had been told that he was the inferior version of you, the cast off to use up all the unwanted genes, he was furious that you had gone on to help the world rather than take it over as your father wished. He wanted to prove that he could do it, inferior or not. But he was misinformed. He was always told that he was the inferior copy to give him the drive he needed. He was being used as a pawn to get the remains of big boss. It had been engineered for his entire life to the day he went to that nuclear base. But he wasn't inferior Snake, you are. He was the one with the superior genes and you were the remnants, but what those scientists back then didn't count on was that perfect isn't always best."

"You're telling me I was the inferior copy? Then why did I win?" 

"Because whilst you didn't have superior genes you were missing some of the ones the scientists would have omitted had they known about them. You aren't truly human Snake. You don't have the same genes we have; you have no conscience, no fear, and no real humanity. What those lab boys didn't consider was that with the cast out genes what they were left with wasn't an inferior reject but a cold, heartless and completely ruthless killing machine. You're an animal Snake but even animals have more feeling than you."

"But… I… I feel all those things I'm not some robot with no soul, when you killed Meryl I felt hatred, anger and when I saw her dead I felt love. Your lying Ocelot, I don't know why but you are."

"Your right Snake you did feel hatred and anger. They are emotions you do have, but as for love. You can't feel love Snake; you don't know what it feels like. I don't know what you felt that day, maybe shame, possibly pity, but it wasn't love, it can't have been love. And why all this your wondering. Because you have another brother, Snake, one who set up everything you have ever been through, Outer Heaven, Zanzibar, Shadow Moses Island all of it was devised by him. He controlled your father, your brother and even your commander Roy Campbell. He was the one to realise your father's dream of world conquest. His name was Solidus and he was President of the United States."

"You're saying that the president is my brother. Another son of Big Boss?"

"That's right Snake. I know because I was working for him all along. Even Liquid wasn't the superior model, superior to you and the genome soldiers but not to Solidus. He wound his way into government and then the presidency and he worked through Fox-Hound to achieve his goal of world domination. He controlled both sides in all these little battles you've been having. No one but him really knew what was going on. But you still thwarted him despite his advantages."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here Ocelot, why did you have to tell me that?"

"Because I like you Snake. You're so cold and calculating, you're the perfect warrior and I respect you. I also don't have much time left, like you I am infected with fox-die and like you my life is counted in minutes left. You certainly hid yourself well snake to avoid noticing the biggest news in the world Snake, I'll give you that. Solidus has just died. Assassinated by a Russian with long grey hair and a brown leather jacket using a Colt action army, sound familiar? I have the entire American army searching for me, and if they don't get me, the fox-die will so I came to bring you out of the darkness."

"You did well to assassinate a President and get away Ocelot. A stealth job worthy of myself"

"Quite"

"And I thank you for letting me know the truth, but what does it really matter. I'm not in that game anymore and with Solidus dead the threat of Big Boss is gone"

"That's not what I really came to tell you Snake, I knew that you wouldn't care. I came to tell you about your mother."

"Mother?"

"Yes Snake, you deserve to know now. There was a woman who donated her eggs to be used in the experiment that produced you, Liquid and Solidus. I have met her. She's a beautiful woman and she deserves to meet the only good son she has left while she still can. I've written the address on a pad in your bedroom and now I will depart. Don't move or I'll still shoot you."

"Thank you Ocelot, thank you."

All this time Snake had slowly been slipping his hand down the side of his leg. Revolver must be getting shortsighted in his old age. Snake may have been leaving his old life behind but there were things you always kept. With a cobra like pounce Snake dug the knife that had been laying under his leg into Ocelots thigh. Ocelot was caught off guard and flung his arms in the air. At once Snake was on his feet. He grabbed Ocelots gun arm and brought it over the face of his neck. He crunched the hand tightly breaking the bones and dislodging the gun. He bent Ocelot over backwards using his gun arm and raised his elbow high in the air.

"This is for Meryl"

He brought his elbow down as hard as he could onto Ocelots face and with a terrible crack broke his neck.

The lifeless body of Ocelot fell to the ground with a thud and snake pulled out his knife and walked into the house. An hour later he was standing in his dining room checking he had everything. Knife, Ocelots gun, money. He looked down at the pad; he needed to go to Britain. As he walked out he glanced into the silent garden. The setting sun still bathed it in orange light. He looked at the brown mass that was Ocelot. He felt noting, just like he said.


End file.
